Means for producing designs upon very heavy rollers for color printing purposes



May 19, 1936. G. P. VARLEY ET AL MEANS FOR PRODUC INGl DESIGNS UPON VERYHEAVY POSES ROLLERVS FOR COLOR PRINTING PUR Filed July 29, 1935 5Sheets-Sheet l N l N INVENTORS: GEORGE PERCNHL VHRLEY HDHM GummilHT'I'ORNEY May 19, 1936 G, P. VARLEY ET AL 2,041,501

MEANS FR PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON VERY HEAVY ROLLERS FOR COLOR PRINTINGPURPOSES 5 Sheets-Sheetl .2

Filed July 29, 1935 INVENTURS: GEORGE PERclvm. VHRLEY HDHM CLHRKE BY:

FITTORNEY May 19, 1936. G. FrvARLEY ET AL 2,041,501

j MEANS FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON VERY HEAVY ROLLERS FOR COLOR PRINTINGPURPOSES Filed July 29, 1935 5 Sheeis-SheeiI 3 l -Irfil A rineg-INVENTORS: Geomag Pe Ren/nl. VHRLEY 9D 9M C/LFKKE QTTORNEY l L V 4r 1936G. P. VARLEY r-:T AL 2,041,501

MEANS FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS UPON VERY HEAVY ROLLERS FOR COLOR PRINTINGPURPOSES Filed July 29, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Hli, i

j Y l. ilrkl-llv GEORGE PERcvvm. vnRLaY non m CLHRKE By.' y HTTORNEY May19, 1936. l G. P. VARLEY ET Al. 2,041,501

MEANS FOR PRODUCI-NG DESIGNS UPON VERY' HEAVY ROLLERS FOR COLOR PRINTINGPURPOSES Y Filed July 29, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTDRS BY: a

Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR PRODUCINGDESIGNS UPON VERY HEAVY ROLLERS FOR COLOR PRINTING PURPOSES DanyApplication July 29, 1935, Serial No. 33,626 In Great Britain June 6,1935 5 Claims.

This invention relates to means for producing or marking out designsupon very heavy rollers for colour printing purposes, making use ofpantograph or similar apparatus for reproducing to a reduced scale onthe waxed or varnished or treated roller the design by working thetracing point of the tracing arm over the design to be traced out ortransferred onto the roller. Pantograph tracing or transferringapparatus is, of course, well known.

In the ordinary pantograph engraving machine the movement of the tracingarm by the operator in a longitudinal direction moves the point of thetracing lever in a lateral direction, whilst the movement of the tracingarm laterally on either hand causes the roller or object to be engravedto be rotated, all whereby any design can be engraved on or transferredto the roller or object.

This is satisfactory when the object to be engraved (say a roller) is ofreasonable weight, but cannot be applied for the engraving of heavybowls or rollers which may weigh up to ve tons. As a consequence, suchvery heavy rollers have been engraved by hand, which is a long andexpensive process.

In order to be able to mechanically trace the design to be produced onvery heavy rollers, we make use of an arrangement wherein the wholeofthe movement necessary for any one tracing operation on the roller isconveyed to the tracing levers, the heavy roller itself remainingstationary during such operation and being independently mounted andhaving means for rotating the roller by hand as required. Such anarrangement is broadly known, but according to our improvements wepropose to carry the tracing levers in connection with a compound slidestructure which includes superposed rolling bars, such compound slidestructure being located above the heavy roller to receive the design.One set of rolling bars (upon which the tracing levers may be supported)conveys the lateral motion and the other set conveys the longitudinalmotion, the combination providing a compound slide structure from whichany necessary motion can be conveyed from the design by the tracing armthrough the superposed rolling bars to the tracing levers.

The tracing levers are so supported from the rollingbars as to beadjustable'longitudinally with respect thereto to operate upon anydesired portion axially of the heavy roller, and a plurality of suchtracing levers can be arranged to trace the design on a number ofsections axially of the roller with one tracing operation. Also,co-operating means are provided fork raising and lowering the tracinglevers with respect to the heavy roller.

We mount the heavy roller in supports located in a free space below thesuperposed rolling bars of. the compound slide arrangement and thisroller is adapted to be turned by hand through simple mechanism, therebeing suitable indexing mechanism to govern the turning of the bowl asand when required, that is when one section of the tracing or engravinghas been effected.

The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the upper part of the machine including thepantograph mechanism and the upper rolling bars, and shows the swivelbracket pivoted over one rolling bar, and also the fulcrum for therhomboid.

Fig. 2 shows a broken end View of the machine with certain of the partsin section. The con-r tinuation of the foot treadle is shown at Fig. 2afor want of room on the sheet.

Fig. 3, which is shown on two sheets of drawings, is a rear View of themachine and indicates the heavy roller in position and shows the mech--anism for dealing with such heavy roller whilst the design is beingtraced or transferred.

Fig. 4 is a detail of means to couple the upper rolling bars.

Fig. 5 is a separate enlarged detail showing how the tracing levers aremounted and controlled from treadle mechanism, such Fig. 5 showing thetracing levers lowered onto the heavy roller.

Fig. 6 is'a view similar to Fig. 5, but with the tracing levers raised.

Fig. '7 shows a rear View of certain of the parts seen in Fig. 5.

Referring in the first place and more particularly to Fig. 1, there isshown the work-table a upon which the design to be traced is secured,and over such table is the tracer arm b1 of a rhomboid pantographmechanism b with joints at b2, the fulcrum of the pantograph structurebi The arm on the left (Fig. 1) of the rhomboidv pantograph mechanism isadjustably bolted to a swivel bracket bI which works about a pivoty dfixed on an adjustable slide d1 mounted on a plate d2 with undercutsides screwed to one oi the top rolling bars e, e.

The top rolling'bars e, e:

may be interconnected by brackets e1, e2 with adjusting screws e3 so asto move together (as shown by Fig. 4) or they may be connected byflexible bands e4 passing around a roller e5 so as to effect a reversemovement when producing parts of design of opposite hands, this being4well known.

The machine comprises a bed casting f to which castings f1, f1 arebolted, upon which are bolted bridge or extension castings f2 havingtheir foreends interconnected by a cross-arm casting f3 and havingattached pendent brackets f4. Stout cross-bearers g, y with guide railg1 extend between the castings f1, f1 and the. pendent brackets f4, f4,as well shown in Fig. 2, and these crossbearers y, g support the rollingelements. The properly shaped top rolling bars e, e roll on antifrictionrollers e5 which in turn roll' on shapedrails eFl secured to shaped barse8 which roll on anti-friction rollers g2 which engage the stoutcross-bearers y, g.

Depending from the ends of the rolling bars e, e are brackets h1 and inspaced relationship longitudinally there are stirrup-like brackets h2,which brackets h1 and h2 support movable lower bars h with bevelledsides.

According to the foregoing, if the tracer arm b1 be moved laterally itwill move the rolling bars e, e laterally upon the anti-friction rollerses, and if the tracer arm bl be pushed in the direction of its lengthi-t will cause the rolling bars e8, e8 and what they support to roll onthe antifriction rollers g2 and so move in a direction at right-anglesto a lateral actuation. Thus, both motions from the rhomboid orpantograph struc-- ture are` conveyed through the compound slideprovision described so that any motion which is derived therefrom orwhich is acornpound of a lateral and longitudinal motion is obtainableand can be conveyed to the tracing lever or levers to act on the heavyroller to whichv the design in reduced form is to be transferred.

The tracing levers i areadjustably mounted in brackets il which arespaced upon the lower bars h suspended from the rolling bars e, e andtwo sets are indicated by the drawings and in particular by Fig. 2.

'Ihe compound slide mechanism is'clearly shown as suspended orsuperposed from carrying framework located over support provision forthe heavy roller 1' which is to receive the design traced by the.diamond points of the tracer levers i, i.

In order to raise and lower the tracer levers to lift same out of, or tolower same into action, the tracing levers zare shown pivoted each upona bracket 111A adjustable along the lower bars h by clamping devices i2.

The tracing levers z' are shown fulcrumed at i3 in the brackets il andcounterbalanced by a weight i4 and are controlled each by a cam 7'bearing on an adjustable stud i5. The camsfi are mounted on a shaft :ilmounted in end bearings 2 and spaced intermediate bearings i3, the camsbeing grippedI onV the shaft jl. Lever arms k7 are grippedv onthe shaft7'1 and are loaded by an adjustable-weight k1. Upon the shaft 7'1 arefixed spaced arms 7'4' each set supporting a bar i5. Over the bars :i5at each` end of the machine is located a parallel bar Z with contactplates Z1 which bear on the barsj.5 and depress or relieve same. Saidparallel bars Z are suspended as to one end on a link or lever l2` and.as tothe other end are pivoted to a bell-crank' lever Z3 fulcrumed atZ4. Adjustable connecting rods. Z5 connect the bell-crankY leverl Z3 toa` treadle Z9'. This treadle Z9 is fulcrunied at. Z.6 to adjustable;brackets Zrl supported in slides on the bed casting f, the adjustablebrackets Z7 permitting the position of the treadle with respect to theworking platform to be regulated to suit the comfort of the worker.Weights ZB'are applied to the treadle levers Z9. When the treadle ispressed down (which occurs when the worker is operating) the bell-cranklevers Z3 are moved so as to act on the parallel bars Z and raise same,thus allowing the tracer levers z' to be lowered onto the roller r (seeFigs. 2 and 5). If the foot be taken off the treadle then the weights Z8acting through the connecting rods Z5 lower the parallel bars Z whichacting on the bars :i5 move the cams 7' and raise the tracer levers iofi the roller (see Fig. 6)

As to the heavy roller, this is arranged to be supported below theover-head compound slide arrangement worked by the pantograph mechanismto impart the two motions to the tracing levers. There are shown twosupporting structures which are like jacks. They each comprise a base mand screw device m1 with worm wheel m2 and nut, the worm wheel beingoperated by a worm m3 worked through a shaft m4. Upon each screwA devicem1 is mounted a bed plate m5. 'Ihis bed plate m5 carries on its uppersurface a slide n with provision such as antifrction rollers n1, nl tosupport the mandrel r1 of the heavy roller r. Said slides n areadjustable each by means of a nut and screw n2, the screw n2 beingoperated through a worm-wheel n3 actuated by a worm n4 on the shaft 115to which a handle can be applied. By such arrangements we provide forthe raising, lowering and adjustment or setting of heavy rollers ofvarying diarneter (in the space available below the rolling barstructures supported overhead) with respect to the tracing levers. Alsofor setting the heavy roller backwards r forwards to the tracing levers.

Upon the mandrel r1 of the heavy roller r is mounted the indexing wheelo the same being shown Xed by a cone grip o1, the indexing wheel havingspacedholes in its periphery as shown, and the shown locking pin o2 isprovided to release for adjusting and to hold the indexing wheel o whenadjusted. In order to turn the heavy roller r to present a new area tothe tracing levers, a cone grip p is shown fixed on the mandrel r1, andwith this cone grip p a worm wheel p1 is combined adapted to be turnedby a wormp2 mounted on the shaft p3. The operation of the indexing wheelis done as and when required, that is when the sets of tracing levershave done their work over the required areas as is understood.

It will be appreciated that there is imparted to the tracing levers bothlateral and longitudinal motion (which is required) entirely throughthe'compound slide arrangement from the overhead pantograph mechanismwhich obviates having to move the heavy roller at all through or fromthe pantograph mechanism, the mounting and movement of the roller beingindependent and manually performed (as and when required) throughmechanism standing on the floor. 'Ihus the pantograph mechanism isrelieved from a service that. it normally performs, but which it can notperform in the case of very heavy rollers. Further we arrange inpractical manner for the ready getting into position and removal andindependent adjustment of the heavy rollers as and when required.

If no reduction in the transferred design be desired, the rhomboidstructure could be dis.-

pensed with, and a hand controlled directing lever or bracket could bepivotally attached to one of the upper rolling bars of the compoundslide structure.

We declare that what we claim is:

1. Apparatus for producing designs on very heavy rollers comprising aframework, a compound slide structure including superposed rolling barslocated above the heavy roller, means to actuate said rolling bars,tracing levers supported from said rolling bars and adjustablelongitudinally with respect thereto to operate upon any desired portionaxially of the heavy roller, said superposed rolling bars being arrangedto move the tracing levers during each tracing operation in a lateraland a longitudinal direction and in any direction which is a combinationof the two whilst the heavy roller is held stationary.

2. Apparatus for producing designs on very heavy rollers comprising aframework, a compound slide structure including superposed rolling barslocated above the heavy roller, pantograph mechanism operativelyconnected to said rolling bars, tracing levers supported from saidrolling bars and adjustable longitudinally with respect thereto, andmeans to raise and lower said tracing levers with respect to the heavyroller, said superposed rolling bars being arranged to move the tracinglevers during each tracing operation in a lateral and longitudinaldirection and in any direction which is a combination o-f the two whilstthe heavy roller is held stationary.

3. Apparatus for producing designs on very heavy rollers comprising aframework, bracket structures mounted thereon, a compound slidestructure including superposed rolling bars supported by said bracketstructures above the heavy roller, tracing levers supported from saidrolling bars and adjustable longitudinally with respect thereto,pantograph mechanism operatively connected to said rolling bars andarranged to convey motion in a horizontal plane from the tracer arm tosaid tracing levers during each tracing operation Whilst the heavyroller is held stationary, and means to raise said tracing levers clearof the heavy roller automatically and toI lower them manually fortracing. 5

4. Apparatus for producing designs on very heavy rollers comprising aframework carrying brackets, a compound slide structure includingsuperposed rolling bars and anti-friction rollers supported by saidbrackets above the heavy roller, tracing levers pivoted in bracketssupported from said rolling bars and adjustable longitudinally withrespect thereto, pantograph mechanism operatively connected toone ofsaid rolling bars and arranged to actuate said tracing levers throughthe rolling bars in a horizontal plane, whilst the heavy roller is heldstationary, and means operated by parallel bars and treadle mechanism toraise said tracing levers clear of the heavy roller automatically and tolower them manually for tracing.

5. Apparatus for producing designs on very heavy rollers comprising aframework carrying depending brackets, a compound slide structureincluding superposed rolling bars and anti-friction rollers supported bysaid brackets above the heavy roller, lower bars carried from the upperset of rolling bars, tracing levers pivoted in brackets supported onsaid lower bars and adjustable longitudinally with respect thereto,rhomboid pantograph mechanism adjustably connected to one of said upperset of rolling bars and arranged to actuate said tracing levers throughthe rolling bars in a horizontal plane, whilst the heavy roller is heldstationary an adjustable fulcrum for said pantograph mechanism, and cammechanism operated by parallel bars and treadle mechanism to raise saidtracing levers clear of the heavy roller automatically and to lower themmanually for tracing.

GEORGE PERCIVAL VAR/LEY. ADAM CLARKE.

